Thomas officer



(N0 Model.)

' T. OFFICER.

VALVE MECHANISM.

Patented May 18, 1897.

\NITNEEEEE:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES I .ATENT rricn.

THOMAS OFFICER, OF CLAREMONT, NEWV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

' VALVE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,943, dated May 18, 1897.

Application filed May 14, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS OFFICER, a resident of Claremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valve Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to valve mechanism.

My invention comprises'certain novel features, all of which will "be fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is' a longitudinal section through the guide-head cylinder and Valve-chest,

showing the valve in position to exhaust from front end of cylinder and admitting the steam to back end of cylinder. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the valve in position to exhaust from back end of cylinder and admitting steam to front end of cylinder. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4:, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the piston, showing rifle-bar therein; and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the piston.

Like letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to the operation of a coal-cutting machine, but its scope is not limited in any way to this particular application, as it may be applied to the operation of other machines.

The letter a designates a suitable cylinder having the piston-chamber b, with the ports 0 d leading'to the front and rear end thereof, respectively; The guide-head e at the front end of the cylinder and the steam-chest f at the rear end are securely bolted to said cylinder by means of the bolts g.

WVithin the piston-chamber b is the piston '5, with the piston-rod 5' connected thereto, said rod passing through the guide-head e. The outer end of said piston-rod j has the angular faces k, which prevent the piston from turning. At the extreme outer end of the rod j is a suitable cutter (not shown) for cutting the coal.

Serial No. 591,477. (No model.)

\Vithin the piston 'L' and the rod j is formed the recess Z, adapted to receive the rifle-bar m. This rifle-bar m has the spiral grooves n formed thereon, which engage with a nut o, fitting within the piston 2'. The passage in said nut 0 corresponds to the spiral grooves of the rifle-bar m, so that as said piston moves back and forth in the piston-chamber a rotary movement is imparted to said rifle-bar. The spiral grooves 77. are cut at such a pitch as to cause said rifle-bar to make almost a full revolution when the piston makes a stroke. The rifle-bar can have one larger spiral groove, and if more than one groove is used they may be spaced unequally, so that in inserting the riflebar it will always come in one position in the piston-head.

The rear end of the rifle -bar m passes through an opening in the back cylinder-head p. The head q of the rifle-bar on has the beveled portion q, adapted to fit within a correspondingly-shaped seat 1) in said cylinderhead 19. The live steam in the steam-chest f will work on the area of the rifle-bar head q and hold'it tightly to the cylinder-head. The beveled head fitting in a correspondinglyshaped seat forms a steam-tight joint, while the rifle-bar is free to turn readily in the manner hereinafter set forth. The projection 0" in the steam-chest prevents the riflebar from working back, as the stud m is in contact with said projection and prevents any longitudinal movement on the part of said bar.

A crank-arm s is secured to the rifle-bar head q, the other end of said crank-arm bein g con nected to the valve t. The valve illustrated is what is commonly called a spoolvalve, and has the rings t t t formed thereon, which control the ports a a a 10 the rings i i controlling the ports a a and the ring I? the ports a 10 I do not limit myself to any particular. form of valve, as there are other forms which could be employed with like effect,

For the purpose of obtaining a dwell on the valve t I employ a long throw-crankthat is, a crank made a little longer than the desired throw of the valve under ordinary circumstancesso that the rings 25' t t of the valve move beyond the ports a certain distance before they come back. In this manner a dwell is given to the valve to allow the steam ample time to do its work before the valve is reversed, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The steam, compressed air, or other motive force is admitted to the steam-chest by the inlet 1'. A passage Qt conveys the steam to the lower portion of the chest.

The operation of my improved valve mechanism as applied in the form illustrated and described is as follows: \Vit-h the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 the steam will pass through the passage 10, and the ports a (Z, into the piston-chamber at the rear end thereof. Meanwhile the port 0 will be in communication with the exhaust to" by the port 11 The rings t i will close the ports a uf. The crank s will be in the position shown in Fig. 3, not quite beyond its center line. \Yhen the piston reaches the end of its stroke, the crank will pass beyond the center line to the point indicated by the short black line, when the "alve will get its dwell. In other words, the rings 25 will pass below the port 11 a distance so that before the port is closed by the upward movement of the valve sufficient steam has been admitted to the cylinder to operate the piston. The steam thus admitted back of the piston will drive the same forward. The piston not being permitted to turn and having the nut 0 engaging with the spiral grooves 11 of the rifle-baron, the said rifle-bar will be turned in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4:, so that when the piston reaches the end of its stroke the valve will be in the position shown in Figs. 2 and t, the rings it will have closed the port u, the ring t will have opened the port it and closed the port 119, while the ring 25 will have opened the port at". The steam passes through the port 11, into the port 0 to the front end of the cylinder. As the piston recedes the exhaust-steam passes out through the ports (Z 11. The rifle-bar m is turned in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, when the valve is again brought to the position shown in Fig. 1.

As stated, the rifle-bar does not make a complete revolution, but the crank passes a little beyond the center, as indicated, so that the valve is held open a sufticient length of time to permit the steam to do its work.

I do not limit myself to the construction illustrated, as there are other forms in which my invention maybe embodied.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a suitable shell, or casing, of a reciprocating piston therein, a spiral bar engaged by said piston and turned thereby, a crank at the end of said bar, and connections between said crank and a sliding valve controlling the ports leading to the piston-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a suitable shell, or casing, of a reciprocating piston therein, a spiral bar engaged by said piston and turn ed thereby, a crank at the end of said bar, and connect-ions between said crank and a spoolvalve controlling the ports leading to the piston-chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a suitable shell, or casing, of a reciprocating piston therein, a spiral bar engaged by said piston and turned thereby, a long-throw crank at one end of said bar, and connections between said crank and a valve controlling the ports to the piston-chamber, whereby a dwell is given to the vah'e to allow the steam ample time to do its work before the valve is reversed, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination with a suitable shell,

or casin g, having a piston-chamber and a steam-chamber back of the piston-chamber, of a reciprocating piston in said piston-chamber, a spiral bar engaged by said piston and turned thereby, one end of said spiral bar passing into the steam-chamber, a crank on said bar within said steam-chamber, connections between said crank and a spool-valve in said steam-chamber, said spool-valve controlling the ports leading to each end of the piston-chamber and the exhaust, substantially as set forth.

The combination with asuitable shell, or casing, of a reciprocating piston therein, a spiral bar entering a correspondingly-shaped recess in said piston, said bar extending into the stea1nchest and having a beveled head fitting within a seat in the cylinder-head, a projection in said steam-chest to hold said head in contact with said seat, and connections between said head and a valve, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said THOMAS OFFICER, have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS OFFICER.

\Yitnesses:

I I. W. PARKER, Gno. E. WoLooT'r. 

